>> A BUDGET BRAWL OVER THE
SUMMER IN NEW JERSEY HAS LED TO
A DEEPENING DIVIDE IN THE STATE
HOUSE BETWEEN THE ROOKIE
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY
AND THE VETERAN DEMOCRATIC
PRESIDENT OF THE STATE SENATE,
STEVE SWEENEY.
ALTHOUGH A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
WAS BARELY AVOIDED THANKS TO A
LAST-MINUTE DEAL, THE BATTLE
FURTHER FRACTURED THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MURPHY AND
MEMBERS OF HIS OWN PARTY.
LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER THE
FORMER WALL STREET MILLIONAIRE
WAS SWORN INTO OFFICE.
TOUGH STUFF, BUT CERTAINLY NOT
THE FIRST TIME SERIOUS TENSIONS
HAVE EMERGED BETWEEN A NEW
JERSEY GOVERNOR AND LEADERS OF
HIS OWN PARTY IN THE
LEGISLATURE.
AND JOINING US NOW TO PUT IT ALL
IN PERSPECTIVE IS THE ANCHOR OF
THE STATE OF AFFAIRS AND
"METROFOCUS" CONTRIBUTOR, STEVE
ADUBATO.
WELCOME BACK.
>> MY PLEASURE, RALPH.
>> STEVE, HOW DO THE HOSTILITIES
BETWEEN SWEENEY AND MURPHY
EVOLVE?
>> THEY DON'T LIKE TO SAY THIS
PUBLICLY, BUT MY POINT OF VIEW,
SOME OF 24S PERSONAL.
STEVE SWEENEY IS A VERY POWERFUL
PRESIDENT OF THE STATE SENATE,
ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL IN THE
HISTORY OF THE STATE SINCE THE
1947 CONSTITUTION.
HE WANTED TO BE GOVERNOR.
HE WAS PREPARED TO RUN FOR
GOVERNOR.
HAD IT LINED UP IN SOME PEOPLE'S
MINDS.
PHIL MURPHY COMES N NOT
ORIGINALLY FROM NEW JERSEY.
PUTS UP A LOT OF MONEY AND SAYS,
I WILL FUND MY OWN CAMPAIGN.
MANY DEMOCRATIC PARTY OFFICIALS
SAID, SWEENEY, WE KNOW YOU'VE
BEEN OUT THERE A LONG TIME IN
THE LEGISLATE UFR, A JERSEY GUY,
IF YOU WILL.
MURPHY IS GOING TO FUND THE
CAMPAIGN.
WE DON'T HAVE TO RAISE MONEY FOR
HIM.
I THINK IT REALLY BOTHERED STEVE
SWEENEY PERSONALLY AND HE'S
TRYING TO SHOW HIS STRENGTH
RIGHT NOW.
>> THIS HOSTILITY AS I SAID IN
THE INTRODUCTION BETWEEN THE
GOVERNOR AND LEADERS OF HIS OWN
PARTY IN THE LEGISLATURE,
NOTHING NEW.
IT'S A HISTORY EVENT.
>> WHAT'S IRONIC ABOUT THIS IS
THAT JOHN CORZINE, THE LAST
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR WHO HAPPENED
TO BE FROM GOLD UP --
>> FAMILIAR FROM WALL STREET,
YEAH.
>> DIDN'T UNDERSTAND JERSEY VERY
WELL IN MY OPINION.
YOU AND I INTERVIEWED HIM MANY
TIMES ON OUR PREVIOUS SHOW.
NICE GUY, BUT DIDN'T UNDERSTAND
RETAIL POLITICS IN NERZ I.
DIDN'T RELAEL TO MEMBERS OF THE
POLITICS IN JERSEY.
I SEE SOME OF THE PATTERNS.
I THINK MURPHY IS ENGAGING AND
PERSONABLE.
HE HAD A HARD TIME WITH THE
DEMOCRATS IN THE LEGISLATURE.
THEY DIDN'T CONNECT WITH EACH
OTHER.
IT'S RETAIL POLITICS.
IF YOU DON'T CONNECT WITH
MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE IN
YOUR OWN PARTY ON A AMERICANAL
LEVEL, BARACK OBAMA START TODAY
LEARN THAT ABOUT DEMOCRATS AS
WELL.
THE FACT IS THE DEMOCRATS WHO
ARE NOT FROM JERSEY WHO DON'T
COME FROM THE LEGISLATURE, WHO
DON'T UNDERSTAND JERSEY VERY
WELL, DON'T DO THAT WELL WITH
THEIR OWN PARTY.
>> HE'S FROM BOSTON, RIGHT?
>> HE'S A BOSTON MILLIONAIRE.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MURPHY.
>> YEAH.
HE'S A BOSTON MILLIONAIRE,
RIGHT?
>> NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
>> BUT WE'RE HERE IN NEW YORK
CITY.
WE HAD A BOSTON MILLIONAIRE WHO
BECAME A VERY SUCCESSFUL MAYOR.
>> BLOOMBERG, RIGHT?
>> WHAT DID HE DO THAT MURPHY
HAS NOT DONE?
>> I DEFER TO YOU WHEN IT COMES
TO NEW YORK POLITICS.
>> HE WASN'T A RETAIL GUY
EITHER.
>> I TELL YOU THIS, BEING
GOVERNOR IS NOT THE SAME AS
BEING MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW POWERFUL THE
CITY COUNCIL IS, BUT IN THE
STATE LEGISLATURE, IT'S SO
INTERESTING.
ONE OF THE GOVERNORS YOU AND I
ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IF WE
HAVE A MINUTE IS TOM KAINE.
TOM KAINE'S PIECE OF ADVICE TO
CHRIS CHRISTIE, A REPUBLICAN
GOVERNOR IN THE '80s.
HE WAS ALSO THE FORMER SPEAKER
OF THE HOUSE WHEN THE
REPUBLICANS DIDN'T CONTROL THE
MAJORITY, THE DEMOCRATS DID.
THINK ABOUT THAT.
HE TOLD CHRIS CHRISTIE WHEN
CHRISTY BECAME GOVERNOR, HE
ASKED HIM, CHRIS, WHO IS YOUR
BEST FRIEND?
CHRIS CHRISTIE SAID, MY WIFE
MARY PAT.
HE GOES, NOT FOR THE NEXT FOUR
OR EIGHT YEARS.
YOUR BEST FRIEND IS STEVE
SWEENEY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE
SENATE.
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE
BEST RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, EVEN
THOUGH HE'S A DEMOCRAT, CHRISTY
WAS REPUBLICAN, YOU WON'T GET
ANYTHING DONE.
>> HE DID AT LEAST FOR THE FIRST
TERM, UNTIL BRIDGE GATE ANYWAY.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MURPHY
AND SWEENEY LIKELY TO GET
BETTER, GOOD NEWS?
>> YOU AND I TALK ABOUT
POLITICS.
WE AND THE FOLKS AT "METROFOCUS"
WHO WATCH IT, ARE ALSO
INTERESTED IN THE POLICY.
IF THE DEMOCRATS, THE SPEAKER OF
THE ASSEMBLY CRAIG COUGH LYNN --
NEW GUY THERE --
>> WHAT'S HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH
MURPHY?
>> IT'S OKAY.
IT'S NOT THE SAME AS SWEENEY'S.
HERE'S MY POINT.
IF THE TWO MEMBERS OF THE SENATE
AND ASSEMBLY DOESN'T GET ALONG
WITH THE GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR
DOESN'T GET ALONG WITH THEM,
THAT'S NOT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
INSIDE BASEBALL.
THAT STOPS GOVERNMENT.
THAT STOPS POLICY FROM MOVING
FORWARD.
THE PEOPLE OF NEW JERSEY NEED
THE LEADERS OF THE LEGISLATURE
AND THE GOEFRP TO GET ALONG FOR
THE STATE TO WORK WELL.
YOU HAVE TRANSIT ISSUES.
YOU HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.
YOU HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL EISSUES,
ENERGY ISSUES.
IT'S NOT WHAT THEY WANT TO RAISE
TAXES.
THEY HAVE TO GET IT TOGETHER.
IN MY OPINION PHIL MURPHY HAS TO
SIT DOWN AND ASK HIMSELF HOW
MUCH DO I WANT TO UNDERSTAND
THESE GUYS AND INTERACT WITH
THEM ON A PERSONAL LEVEL?
THEY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND MUR 23I
COMES FROM A DIFFERENT
BACKGROUND.
IF THEY DON'T DO THAT, THERE IS
GOING TO BE A STALEMATE FOR A
LONG TIME.
THAT'S NOT GOOD NEWS FOR NEW
JERSEY.
>> WHAT'S YOUR BEST GUESS?
>> I'M HOPEFUL.
I LIKE TO BE AN OPTIMIST.
I'M CATHOLIC AND I'LL SAY A
PRAYER.
>> STEVE, THANKS SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU, RALPH.